Bench of the Supreme Court presided by Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Surya Kant granted interim relief of reserving one seat of PG Medical Course (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) in the Government Medical College at Bhopal in a SLP preferred by a woman doctor who had served the State in the tribal and Naxalite-hit villages for more than 11 years.

The doctor, Dr Rajni Shende had approached the SC after being declined relief by the Madhya Pradesh High Court wherein, which she had approached originally claiming incentivised benefit of 30 per cent reservation and 30 per cent incentive marks made available to all such in-service doctors by the State of MP Justice Chandrachud heading the bench observed it to be a ‘Hard Case’ which moved the court sentimentally for giving indulgence in the matter. The Bench also noticed the State and National Medical Commission to respond by next Monday, the April 18. The petitioner was represented through Advocates Siddharth R Gupta assisted by Abhikalp P Singh and Shivam Singh Baghel before the court. The State has a policy of awarding 30 per cent incentive marks along with separate benefit of 30 per cent reservation to all those doctors who have served the State for a minimum period of 3 years in the interior, remote, rural and difficult areas of the State.

The Supreme Court. on Monday, issued notices to the State, returnable coming Monday on April 18, 2022, whilst directing the State to block the seat at Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, which was the primary choice and option filled by her at the commencement of the counselling. This arrangement was made, when the counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Siddharth R Gupta pointed out to the court that despite interim orders passed by the High Court, the State did not block the seat which she was claiming to and fortunately for her the seat of her primary choice was still vacant at the time of Mop-UP round of counselling in the State of MP. In view of the submissions made by the petitioner, the Court passed the aforementioned interim order.